4 SURPRISING MISTAKES YOU MUST AVOID NOT TO MISS YOUR FLIGHT

NOT ACCOUNTING FOR TRAVEL TIME AT THE AIRPORT : Your smart phone’s mapping App will give you a remarkably accurate estimate of how long it takes to get to the airport. But getting there is only half the battle . At major airports , it’s not uncommon to need an additional half an hour to travel from the parking lot , rental car drop-off , or train station to your terminal. Remember to factor in this hidden travel time , and to double check which terminal your flight departs from.

OUTSTANDING YOURSELF WITH A TIGHT CONNECTION : Every airport has an official minimum connection time (MCT) , the least amount of time the average person needs to make a connection on a continuing flight based on factors such as Airport layout , Security and whether you’re connecting between domestic or international flights. Booking sites show itineraries with layovers longer than MCT meaning that most missed connections are the result of unforeseen service delays . In these cases , airlines are legally required to help passengers reach their final destinations. However , it’s impossible to have a connecting window shorter than the MCT if you book a series of separate one-way flights on your own , a technique some travelers use to hack together an itinerary for less than the price of a single ticket. Booking separate flights can be a great value , but it requires accounting for additional logistical complexities . As a rule of thumb , give yourself at least 45minutes between flights.

NOT KNOWING THE BUSIEST TRAVEL SEASONS : Most people know that the end-of-year holiday season is one of the most worst times to travel. The day before Thanksgiving is as famous as crowded shopping malls. Likewise , New year’s Eve and pretty much the entire week leading up to Christmas have well-deserved reputations for being potential travel nightmares. As bad as things seem during the winter holidays , Summer is the real peak travel season. Thirteen of the 15busiest air travel daysof the year fall between mid-June and early August , with passenger volume spiking on Fridays , Sundays and Mondays. Plan on needing more time to navigate through the masses during these windows , and if your schedule allows , consider flying on off-peak days. Not only will lines be shorter on Tuesdays , Wednesdays and Saturdays but ticket prices will be lowest.

MISSING THE CHECK-IN CUTOFF : It’s impossible to miss your flight without getting stuck in a long security line. Airlines have specific rules for how far in advance passengers have to check in. The most common policy is 30minutes for domestic flights and an hour for international flights , though some airlines have stricter requirements. American airlines , for instance , requires passengers on all domestic flights to arrive at least 45 minutes early , while other carriers close baggage check up to an hour in advance . But to make it safe , always check in online ahead of time and avoid checking bags when possible.

Missing your flight is frustrating whether the blame lies with TSA or with you. Tolstory wrote that **all happy families are alike , each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way**. when it comes to air travel , there are many ways to miss a flight and be unhappy , but only one way to avoid this fate : SHOW UP ON TIME….